MP says she cannot support reforms that will “write off” disabled people
VICKY FOXCROFT MP has dramatically resigned as a Government Whip, citing deep concerns over planned cuts to disability benefits under the Labour Government.
In a powerful resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Foxcroft said it was “with a heavy heart” that she was stepping down but could not, in good conscience, support welfare reforms that would impact the most vulnerable.
The Lewisham North MP said she was proud to have served in the first Labour government in 14 years, but declared: “I will not be able to do the job that is required of me and whip – or indeed vote – for reforms which include cuts to disabled people’s finances.”
Warning over PIP and Universal Credit changes
Foxcroft directly criticised proposals affecting Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the health element of Universal Credit, stating: “I do not believe that cuts to PIP and the health element of UC should be part of the solution.”
Her resignation will intensify pressure on the Prime Minister, who is facing growing disquiet from backbenchers and campaign groups about proposed changes to the welfare bill.
Foxcroft, who served as Shadow Minister for Disabled People from 2020 to 2024, said she had “wrestled” with whether to remain in government to fight from within. “Sadly it now seems that we are not going to get the changes I desperately wanted to see,” she wrote.
“Even tougher than I imagined”
In her letter, dated 19 June 2025, Foxcroft recounted how her time as Shadow Minister shaped her understanding of the disability rights movement, saying she came to realise that life was “even tougher than I had imagined” for many disabled people.
She outlined her support for key reforms under Labour’s “Pathways to Work” programme, including fixing the Access to Work system, ending the fear of reassessments, and ensuring every person has access to a supportive work coach.
“These include: allowing people to try work without fear of having to go through the assessment process again… and ensuring everyone has access to a supportive work coach so no one is written off,” she wrote.
“Real and ongoing distress”
Foxcroft also condemned the legacy of the Conservative government, blaming it for a decade of poverty, medical access failures, and widespread housing problems. But she stressed that Labour must do better: “I absolutely understand the need to address the ever-increasing welfare bill… but I have always believed this could and should be done by supporting more disabled people into work.”
Her resignation could trigger a wider backlash from MPs and disability rights campaigners, who have warned that the proposed reforms echo aspects of previous austerity-era policies.
“Cuts are not the answer”
Foxcroft’s departure is the most high-profile resignation over welfare policy since Labour took office. Her intervention highlights a growing divide within the party over how to reform the benefits system amid tight economic constraints.
She ended her letter by calling on Ministers to “revisit these reforms so that I can continue to support the government in delivering for the people of this country.”
